Almost a year ago, the Ashok Gehlot government in the state enforced a blanket ban on the use of plastic bags in the state. The move was much appreciated and welcomed.

JAIPUR: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was in Delhi on Saturday, met Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh requesting him to expedite allotment of captive coal blocks for the power projects being set up in the state. Ramesh said a solution would soon be worked out.

Gehlot on Friday had met senior Congress member Ahmed Patel.

JAIPUR: Metro Man E Sreedharan on Tuesday asked the state government to start recruiting staff for running the Jaipur Metro trains that will start rolling by June 2013.

JAIPUR: After tigers, it is now the turn of cheetals and sambhars to get relocated to various sanctuaries in the state.

ALWAR: The death of ST-1, the first relocated tiger to the Sariska reserve, may have been the result of a fallout of negligence of higher officials of the reserve and not just that of the lower rank staff or that of the team from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that had been given the task of monitoring the tiger's movements.

The new twist to the death of the big cat comes with the surfac

JAIPUR: It's an all-time record for Ranthambore National Park. Within an year, 18 cubs were born in the park to various tigresses. Officials say that the figure is a magical one and that such a mark has been set for the first time.

The latest tigress to add to the celebrations was T-19, which was spotted taking a stroll in the Nalghati area of the park with three of its cubs.

JAIPUR: The state government has identified 20 districts as focus districts to provide quality medical facilities for reducing infant mortality rate in the state.

Most of the focus districts are situated in western Rajasthan including Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur.

JAIPUR: Every drop of water counts in the city, as the deficit between the demand and supply is 220 million litres per day (MLD). In fact, the tubewells are drying and groundwater is depleting. Now, to keep a check on every drop, the public health and engineering department (PHED) has started water audit in four municipalities

JAIPUR: The Desert National Park (DNP), one of the largest sanctuaries of the country spread over the twin districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer may get newer territories.

JODHPUR: Unabated killing of peacocks is gradually pushing the national bird on the brink of extinction and lack of stringent measures to put a check on their poaching is making the situation worse.